Cutting and cleaning tool.



E. MMLACHLAN. CUTTING AND CLEANING TOOL.

APPLICATION ILED OCT. I4. 1915.

.Patentedept 4, 191?.

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pnfrrnn srnfrns rarita-m oprima ELIZABETH MACLACI-ILAN, OF ELIfl-IART,INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T WILLIAIVI S. FERRIS, OF ELKE-LARI, INDIANA.

CUTTING AND CLEANING TOOL.

Application led October lll, 1916.

at Elkhart, in the county of Elkhart and` o State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Cutting andCleaningTools, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cutting, cleaning, and excavating tools of thetype shownl in United States Patent, No. 774,142 of November 1, 1904i toCharles Brick. In the operation of tools of this character the springjaws are alternately opened and sprung together thousands upon thousandsof times being closed to grip the dirt and being opened to release same.j

The general object of my invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which shall be of simpler construction; which shall be of lesscost; which shall be lighter; which shall be of such construction thatthe deforming tendency of the action of moving the spring jaws togethershall be minimized; and which shall more surely automatically releasethe material gripped therein.

My invention consists generally in the form, arrangement, constructionand coperation of parts whereby the above named objects, together withothers which will appear hereinafter, are attainable, and my inventionwill be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying1drawings which illustrate the` preferred construction thereof.

In the said drawings, Figure 1, is :a perspective view of a deviceembodying my invention with an intermediate portion broken away.

Fig. 2- is an enlarged central vertical section with the intermediateportion broken away and showing the jaws in open position.

Fig. 3- is a view similar to Fig. 2, but with the spring jaws drawntogether; and

Fig. 4.- is a detail view of the spring jaw roller and associated parts.

In the drawings, 10, indicates a tubular body provided at its lower endwith a U- shaped head portion 11, having slightly outwardly extendingchannel shape-d portions 12-12. At the opposite end, the body 10,

is provided with a slotted head 18, and to the upper end of the head 13,a cross arm 14, is secured.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Iatented Sept. al, 191'?.

serial ne. 125,687.

Extending through the slot of the head 13, is another cross arm, 15,similar to the cross arm 14, `and secured to this cross arm 15, is a rod1G, which extends down through the body 10, and into the space betweenthe fingers 12-12 of the head 11. To the lower end of the rod 1G, Iattach a Ueshaped clip 20, having depending spaced fingers 21. Theiingers 21, are provided with alined holes 22, through which a bolt 23,passes. rIhe bolt 23, serves to support and hold a roller `or cylinder25, which has a central opening to receive the bolt and which is oflength substantially equal to the distance between the spaced lingers21. The roller or cylinder 25, is of such size and is so spaced relativeto the upper portion of the U-clip 20, as to vprovide a space 26,therebetween. The dirt or weed gripping and holding portion of theimplement, comprises a strip of spring material which I bend toform agently curving or arcuated upper portion 80, with oppositely andoutwardly extending substantially straight portions 31 and 3Q, andinwardly extending end portions 33 and SLI. It will be understood thatif the instrlr ment is to be used for cutting weeds or removing dirt,the jaws are placed in Adesired position and in open condition andpressed into the material whereupon the operator draws the handle 15, tothe handle 111, thus closing the jaws as shown in Fig. 3. Upon releasingthe handle, the jaws are automatically opened to discharge the materialcarried thereby. In devices hitherto devised, the spring jaws have soonlost their elasticity with the result that they do not automaticallydischarge the material and furthermore, in devices hitherto devised, ithas also been necessary to provide a spring to return the handle and rodto open position. I eliminate these objections and greatly simplify thedevice by the novel construction of the spring jaw and the means fordrawing it together and opening it. To this end, I provide the roller orcylinder 25, and I make the radius of the roller smaller than the radius0f the spring portion 30. In this way, the spring arcuate 30, bearssubstantially along a line and as the handles are moved together, toclose the fingers 31 and 32, the curved portion 30, can freely changeits position, form, or curvature without the slightest danger of beingmoved beyond its elastic limit or of being portion of the arcuateportion 30, can Wrap,

itself around the roller or cylinder dueA to. the free interveningspaces 35. By gently v curving the portion 30, a strong spring metal maybe used and still be freely moved together by contact oi the portions 3land H 32, with the lower ends of the channel shaped fingers 12-12. Alsobecause of this construction, I am able to dispense with the additionalspring hitherto employed to return the handle l5, and operating rod, 16,to open position. Furthermore, because the spring jaws are neverabruptly bent, kinled or moved beyond their elastic limit they al.- waysopen automatically to discharge the material and to return to normalposition when the pressure on. handle 15, is released.

I claim i l. In a tool of the class described, the combination of a mainhollow' body havingl a pair of iingers, a rod movable through thebody, aspring jaw strip, associated with said body fingers and having acurif'ed po-rtion, means carried by said rod engaging the curved portionof said spring .j aw strip, said means being curved and of lesser radiusthan the curved portion of the` spring jaw strip.V

2. In a tool of the class described, the combination of a main hollowbody having a pair of fingers, arod movable. through saidv body, aU-shaped ciip secured to the.` end of said rod, an arcuate bearing facesupported in` and spaced from the upper portion of the U-clip and aspring jaw strip having a curved upper portion, passing through thespace between said arcuate face end, and the upper portion of said clip,said curved portion having a greater radiusthan the curved portion ofthe arcuate bearing face and the said spring jaw strip having outwardlydisposed substantially straight portions in engagement with the fingerscarried vby the body, whereby movement of the clip toward the bodycauses the spring jaw strip fingers to move together and whereby whenreleased, the outward pressureA of the spring jaw strip serves to returnthe rod Washington, IZI. C.

and handle. to normal position and automatically to discharge anymaterial carried by the, spring jaw strip. y

3, In a tool of the class described, the combination of a main bodyhaving a pair of fingers at one end, a rod, longitudinally movablebetween said lingers7 a U-Shaped clip carried by the rod and normallyspaced from the juncture,of said fingers with the body, a cylindercarried bysaid U-shaped clip and having its upper4 portions spaced from,the body part of the Ll-clip', and a spring `yaw strip havingy a curvedupper portion lanassing through the space between said, cylinder andU-,clip, said cylinder eng'aging the spring jaw strip and` causing thelingers thereofl to .move together when the said rod is moved and thejaw strip serving to return the parts to normal position andautomatieally toy discharge any material gripped thereby.

l. In a*y tool of they class described, the combination of a hollow bodyportion having a. pair of lingers, of a rod movable through the body, aspring jaw strip asso# ciated with said body fingersk and jhaving acurved portion, a cylinder carried by` said rod engaging the curved.vportion of the spring, j aw strip. and serving to support it,

said cylindery being` of lesser radius than theL curved'` portion of thespringffjaw strip.

y5. In a tool of the class described, the combination of a hollow body,having a pair of fingers, a rod movable through thelbody, a spring jaw.strip, associated with said bod-y ngers and; having a curved portion, aU- clipy carried by said rod, a boltcarried in the U-clgip and having ahollow cylinder mounted thereon, said cylinderengaging thel curvedportion of the spring Jaw strip and having a radius less than the radiusof the ciuiv'ed portion of the jaw strip.

In testimony thereof, I have hereunto` set my hand,.this 11th day ofGot., 19,16, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. l

ELIZABETH MACLACHLAN. Y

each, by

@essere the Gewissens of Parents

